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Carbon Emissions: S4BT and SQUAKE Seal a Partnership

July 17, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Emissions carbone : S4BT et SQUAKE scellent un partenariat stratégique - Photo S4BT

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S4BT and SQUAKE announce the signing of a strategic partnership aimed at helping companies manage, report on, and reduce CO₂ emissions tied to their business travel programs.

Thanks to this collaboration, S4BT clients will now have access to a comprehensive solution that enables calculating, visualizing, and leveraging carbon emission data across all major travel categories: accommodation, air travel, rail, and ground transportation.

In a climate of tightening regulatory requirements and CSR commitments, the Purchasing, Travel and CSR divisions must now have a consolidated and operational view of their carbon footprint, according to a press release.

The integration of SQUAKE’s services into the S4BT environment notably enables:

automatically centralizing data arising from travel programs,

accessing CO₂ dashboards tailored to different lines of business,

producing reports, both internal and external,

identifying concrete levers to reduce emissions and costs.

Better Steering of Travel Policies

For Ziad Minkara, President and Group CEO of S4BT, this partnership addresses a profound shift in market expectations: “We believe that the performance of business travel can no longer be judged solely on economic terms: it must be holistic, responsible, and measurable. By structuring a strategic partnership with SQUAKE, we are taking a decisive step. We empower our clients to manage their travel policies with a complete view, actionable data, and a real impact, both financially, operationally and environmentally. »

The same assessment comes from SQUAKE. Its cofounder, Dan Kreibich, underscores the importance of integrated tools: “Companies need tangible and integrated solutions to turn their sustainability commitments into measurable actions. With S4BT, we enable decision-makers to manage their travel policies with transparency, consistency, and real impact. »

José Martinez: Turning Amplitudes Into a European and Then International Company (Video)

July 17, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

TourMaG – The fact that your daughter is taking over the business, does that make you an entrepreneur and a happy father ?

José Martinez : Yes, obviously. It’s a real joy. As a father, being able to hand down the company we created 35 years ago is a great satisfaction.

We work very well together with Laura, which is very positive. She has been in the company for almost eight years and we have not had any disagreements. That’s an important point.

As an entrepreneur too, this is excellent news. In a career, there inevitably comes a moment when one approaches the end of one’s professional journey. Often the last years before retirement are quieter: the leaders let the company run and slow down the development.

The fact that Laura expressed her willingness to take over the company and to continue its development has completely changed my own mindset. It has rekindled my desire to restart the growth dynamic.

This is especially reflected by the opening of the Bordeaux agency and by a very strong commercial development in the TMC activity. We also rely on what differentiates us: our own SBT tool. Today, it is on the market and allows us to win many new accounts. Between 2025 and 2026, we have already confirmed a growth of more than 30% thanks to these new contracts. It is very positive.

A also to see the interview of Laura Martinez, CEO of Amplitudes on TourMaG’s TV platform.

TourMaG – Precisely, you mention your SBT, eYoma. What are the strengths of this solution and its development prospects?

José Martinez : The development prospects are very significant.

One of the strengths of eYoma is its very recent technology. It is a cloud-native tool that makes it easy to connect the platform to different systems: those of our clients, expense reporting tools, and suppliers.

For example, we are directly connected to Air France to offer the entire NDC offering at no extra cost, including without the GDS surcharge that exists. We are also connected to PAO to directly access the SNCF offer and all of its features, without going through an intermediary.

We also have a connection with Distribution, an international rail provider, which allows us to offer cross-border and trans-European journeys. With eYoma, it is possible to book routes such as Prague–Budapest, Vienna–Munich or Rome–Milan.

We are also connected to Travelfusion to access the entire global low-cost offer. In practical terms, you can book a low-cost carrier on the other side of the world, even in China.

The tool has been developed with very recent technologies. It is hosted entirely in France on OVH servers, which guarantees a high level of security. In a context where digital sovereignty is becoming an important topic, we can ensure 100% French hosting.

eYoma, a multi-traveler and multi-service tool

TourMaG – How did you design this tool?

José Martinez : When we began developing eYoma, I gathered my account managers and asked them to list all the client requests that we could not address with market tools.

That list became the project’s roadmap. Today, when we present our SBT to our clients, they are often surprised by how many of the issues they face we have already resolved. It’s a tool that is popular and helps us win markets.

It isn’t just an SBT. Behind it there is also eYoma Pro, the tool used by our agents. This enables a complete integration between online and offline.

For our teams, the tool is designed around our needs: priority management, task sharing among colleagues, alert systems to track travel progress.

eYoma is also a multi-traveler and multi-service tool. Unlike many SBTs on the market that charge per PNR and limit files to a single traveler, we do not have that constraint. We can therefore include several travelers in one file and group all the travel services together.

Eventually, we will also integrate the possibility of paying for certain services directly via virtual cards created by our clients to manage their travel expenses.

The development possibilities are therefore very numerous.

Amplitudes, “the only TMC in France to own its own technology”

TourMaG – Amplitudes started with bespoke travel, then business travel and now technology. Could you become a technology company?

José Martinez : Becoming a technology company, yes, to some extent. In fact, I think we already are.

This is probably the future of TMCs. In France, we are currently the only TMC to own our own technology. Others rely on external solutions. Yet this model already exists in other countries.

In England, Germany or the United States, several major players have their own technologies. For example, Navan or Perk. We are aligned with this logic.



About twenty years ago, call centers operated entirely with human teams. With the advent of SBT tools, the share of human intervention gradually decreased to around 50%. Today, thanks to capable tools, adoption rates approach 90%. Tomorrow, with the development of artificial intelligence, this figure should rise even further and could reach 95%, or more.

“We are among the French TMCs that want and have the means to internationalize”

“Our vision is more of Amplitudes Worldwide”

TourMaG – Would this internationalization go more through partnerships or through establishments? You also imply that without a large account you could not make the leap.

José Martinez : We are ready to develop internationally if we are given the time and the opportunity. But I am not a strong advocate of partnerships.

Since the beginning, in our leisure activity, we chose not to resell third-party products. We have our own production team and trips we design ourselves, with a high level of mastery and quality control. For the TMC, the logic is the same, with the development of our own SBT.

The day we cross this threshold, I think it will more likely be through direct establishments and full control of what we do. Our technology tool is already ready for this: it is multilingual and can connect to different systems like Sabre or Amadeus. It could therefore work internationally.

Our vision is therefore more that of Amplitudes Worldwide, rather than operating with networks or partners. Networks often pose several difficulties: governance, uniformity of service, data consolidation. These are complex issues when governance is dispersed.

“My analysis, the GDSs have won the battle of the NDC”

TourMaG – You want to keep control…

José Martinez : Exactly. We want to preserve this control.

TourMaG – A word on the NDC, a hot topic in recent years. Where does it stand today? Air France announces rising adoption rates.

José Martinez : Contrary to what the GDSs initially thought, the NDC has ultimately established itself. It is still a relatively young technology that sometimes encounters difficulties, but it is progressing.

Today, for example in our eYoma tool, we pull in both GDS content and NDC content. The NDC share represents about 70% of bookings, which is already very significant, especially for corporate clients. The main reason is simple: fares are often more advantageous.

Features are also improving. Today you can modify a ticket, change a date or destination. It happens that some fare conditions do not surface correctly or some fares appear and then disappear, but that is quite normal for a technology still maturing. Airline booking remains a very complex system.

Moreover, GDSs have regained an important place in this ecosystem. Today there are very wide NDC offerings in Amadeus or Sabre. In a sense, they have managed to re-enter the race, whereas airlines initially hoped to free themselves from it thanks to NDC. My analysis nonetheless is that the GDSs have won the NDC battle.

In the French market, the majority of NDC bookings today go through GDSs, except for some companies like ours that have a culture of difference by choosing direct connection.

For us, it makes sense, especially with Air France which represents about half of our air sales. Just as we found it relevant to connect directly to PAO because 95% of our rail sales today are with SNCF.

We probably will not connect directly to every airline, because GDSs or certain aggregators do a very good job of handling that. However, being directly connected to Air France allows us to offer exactly the same fares and the same offer as on the airline’s site.

This also answers a growing demand for transparency. We can even commit to our clients: if they find a cheaper fare at the same time and under the same conditions, we refund the difference.

Electronic invoicing: the return of commissions ?

TourMaG – You know the issues around electronic invoicing, notably the question of margins that could become completely transparent. Could it change the business travel business model?

José Martinez : For us, the question of margins does not pose an immediate risk.

If an airline grants us a negotiated fare, I am talking about a fare negotiated by Amplitudes, not corporate-negotiated fares, on which we apply a margin, there may be a discrepancy between the invoice sent by the airline and ours. That can create a form of distortion.

The question is therefore how the model will evolve. Perhaps some agencies will ask airlines to revert to a commission system rather than operating with negotiated agency fares. That is a possibility.

These negotiated fares are an integral part of agencies’ business models. Regulatory changes should not undermine this balance. But if the objective is to move toward more transparency, a return to commission could indeed be a solution.

TourMaG – What are Amplitudes’ objectives for 2026 and the vision for the coming years?

José Martinez : For the TMC part, we already know that the accounts won will ensure a growth of between 15 and 20 points. That’s very good news.

We also began the year with a very positive momentum in leisure activity, even if some events slowed this momentum. Despite that, I think 2026 will be a year of growth. Our objective is clearly to maintain double-digit growth.

Amplitudes is a company built from scratch, without initial capital, and which has gradually grown on solid foundations, with high growth rates.

This year again, we have received two important distinctions: a Financial Times award for high-growth European companies and a distinction from Les Échos, which also published an article about our post-Covid growth.

Our vision remains that of a company in motion. We do not want to be a static enterprise. We want to continue integrating sector evolutions, such as artificial intelligence, explore new destinations and invent new ways to travel.

On our scale, we also try to contribute to the positive image of travel agencies: a committed agency for its clients, whether individuals or businesses, capable of negotiating the best conditions with providers.

The vision we share today with Laura is clear: continue to develop Amplitudes to make it a European company in the near future, and perhaps an international company in the medium term.

Published by Céline Eymery Editor-in-Chief – TourMaG.com
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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 – 15:40 Perk launches the first MCP connector to unify trips, expenses and invoices

TGV Lyria: New Coworking Spaces for Business Travelers

July 17, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

IWG et TGV Lyria annoncent un partenariat pour proposer aux voyageurs d’affaires une offre de coworking - Depositphotos.com, GaudiLab

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International Workplace Group (IWG), global specialist in flexible workspaces, and TGV Lyria announce a partnership to enhance the working conditions of business travelers.

This collaboration gives rise to a new coworking offering designed for professionals on the move.

TGV Lyria customers will benefit from exclusive advantages in a selection of spaces operated by IWG, under the Regus, Spaces and Signature brands, located near major stations in France and Switzerland.

While, according to a 2020 INFRAS study, professionals can work during 83% of their train journey, thanks to a conducive and connected environment, the agreement between IWG and TGV Lyria aims to extend this experience by offering work solutions tailored from the moment you arrive at the station.

Present in more than 120 countries with nearly 4,000 sites, IWG deploys a network of modern workspaces near major transport hubs.

This network acts as a lever to meet the needs of the 5.7 million annual travelers using the 17 daily return services between Paris and the Swiss cities of Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich and Basel.

An offering integrated into the TGV Lyria service strategy

This partnership fits into the “New TGV Lyria Services” program, rolled out progressively since January 2025. It aims to provide a travel experience more fluid and coherent, from departure to arrival.

Concretely, TGV Lyria travelers benefit from specific advantages in IWG spaces on the day of their journey. First Signature clients enjoy one hour free in certain spaces, as well as a discount on additional hours.

Travelers in First and Standard classes have access to discounts on day offices, coworking spaces, meeting rooms and subscriptions, upon presenting their ticket.

Reservations are made through a dedicated platform, with on-site teams providing support.

Several sites are involved, notably in Paris, near the Lyon station, as well as in the main Swiss cities served by TGV Lyria, just a few minutes on foot from the stations.

Publié par Amelia Brille Rédactrice TourMaG.com
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SAP Concur and Amex GBT Strengthen Their Unified Travel and Expense Platform

July 17, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

SAP Concur et Amex GBT renforcent leur plateforme unifiée voyage et dépenses - Depositphotos.com Auteur AllaSerebrina

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On the occasion of the SAP Concur Fusion 2026 event, SAP Concur and American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) announced new advances around Complete, their joint travel and expense management solution.

Objective: accelerate the integration of traveler and financial journeys through artificial intelligence and an enriched content offering.

Launched in October 2025 within a strategic alliance between the two groups, Complete aims to combine booking, services, payments and expense management within a single experience.

An AI connected to travel advisors

Since then, its adoption has accelerated, driven by enterprises’ demand for a smoother and smarter travel experience, according to the release.

Among the main evolutions announced, the solution now integrates a conversational platform connected to Joule, SAP’s agentic AI.

This platform is able to accompany the traveler throughout their trip, with a particular feature: an automatic transfer to an Amex GBT human travel advisor when the situation warrants, without the traveler having to switch interfaces.

The full integration of Joule is expected in the second quarter of 2026.

Expanded access to transport contents

Complete also gains a new interface dedicated to travel managers. This homepage centralizes data, management tools, approvals and duty-of-care information.

Presented as a single entry point, it should enable monitoring programs, accessing reports and anticipating budget overruns, with analytical capabilities set to be strengthened in future versions.

Another major evolution: the complete integration of the Amex GBT marketplace, giving access to more than 600 airlines and 2 million properties, as well as content from Booking.com, Expedia, NDC and GDS.

The platform also opens to more than 80 rail operators.

The two partners also announce working on a unified NDC implementation to ensure consistent and predictable access to direct airfares.

Towards full automation of expense reports

Building on the 2025 announcements, the integration between Concur Expense and Amex GBT Egencia is being realized. Reservations made via Egencia now automatically feed expense reports with prefilled data.

« Employees no longer have to re-enter their travel details, and finance teams benefit from more reliable data », states the release. This feature is slated for rollout in April 2026 after a pilot phase.

Finally, SAP Concur and Amex GBT are launching a program dedicated to business travel management (TMCs), with two levels of certification: Gold and Silver.

Yohann Metayer-Claret Joins Naboo to Accelerate Its International Strategy

July 17, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Naboo renforce son comité exécutif avec l’arrivée de Yohann Metayer-Claret - Photo : Naboo

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Naboo strengthens its executive committee.

The platform specialized in organizing corporate events announces the appointment of Yohann Metayer-Claret as Executive Vice President.

A strategic addition to support the group’s international expansion and to structure its relationships with hotel and event partners.

Boasting 20 years of experience in the tourism and MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), Yohann Metayer-Claret has held several leadership positions, both strategic and operational.

He notably left his mark at Ideal Meetings & Events (IME), a leading European player, where he held the roles of Chief Executive Officer and then President for nearly ten years.

Former IME Executive and COMEX Member at Châteauform’

During his time at IME, he led a broad transformation: structuring an offering tailored for major accounts, deploying digital tools, and consolidating the company’s position in the European market.

Parallèlement, il intègre le comité exécutif de Châteauform,’, contributing to the group’s growth strategy and to expanding its activities across Europe amid sector changes.

En rejoignant Naboo, Yohann Metayer-Claret will be tasked with steering and structuring partner relationships on a global scale. A key role to support the platform’s ambition in a market undergoing rapid transformation.

“His arrival marks a decisive milestone in our expansion“, notes Antoine Servant, COO and cofounder of Naboo. “Yohann joins our COMEX to carry our global vision and propel our partnerships strategy on a worldwide scale.”

A mission focused on international partnerships

Very involved in industry networks (CNA, GBTA, MPI), the new leader is recognized as an influential figure in European MICE. He has also advised tourism and hospitality executives in recent years on strategy and structural issues.

For Yohann Metayer-Claret, this appointment sits within a dynamic of deep transformation in the sector: “The future of MICE rests on a seamless duo of technological integration and fluid human support.” He articulates a clear ambition for Naboo: to surpass one billion euros in revenue within 24 months and to establish itself as a global market leader.

A graduate of INSEEC (Master 2 Marketing & Management), having studied at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Staffordshire University and University of Ballarat, Yohann Metayer-Claret is also pursuing a MBA for Entrepreneurs with Augment.org, underscoring a commitment to ongoing education focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Published by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Editor
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Paris to Milan: I Tested Trenitalia’s Executive Class

July 16, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Au départ de la gare de Lyon, l'hiver, il fait encore nuit - Photo : PB

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6:28 a.m. It is still night when the Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) of Trenitalia stirs on the platforms of Gare de Lyon.

9281, is the train number that leaves Paris each morning for its terminus – the central station of Milan – after stops at Lyon Part-Dieu, Chambéry, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Modane, Oulx and Turin.

With two daily round trips, the Italian company Trenitalia opened, in December 2021, the field of competition in France on the high-speed lines (LGV), against SNCF.

After nineteen months of interruption due to a landslide in Maurienne in the summer of 2023, rail traffic between France and Italy resumed just a year ago. Since then, Trenitalia’s experiment has continued successfully.

It is true that the Paris-Milan service in the “Frecciarossa” offers, as the company willingly notes, “optimal connectivity for travelers while facilitating privileged access to mountain regions”.

It is also, Trenitalia insists, “the only service to connect Lyon directly to Italy without a transfer”. However, on this mid-March morning of 2026, what truly mattered to us was to settle in quickly to sleep a little longer.

Fortunately, the Car 1 – dedicated to the Executive Class in which we are traveling – was located very close to the departure platform. After climbing aboard, placing our suitcase in the dedicated space, we were greeted by a smiling onboard attendant who spoke perfect French.

Immediately, she helped us settle into one of the ten luxurious champagne-colored leather seats with a leg rest, after rotating our seat 180° (electric control) to face the direction of travel. Thus, we would travel even more comfortably as these seats, 74 cm wide, are spaced one and a half meters apart.

Cradled comfortably in our seat, slightly reclined, we quickly drifted back into Morpheus’ arms. After, nevertheless, placing our bag on the overhead bag rack below the armrest, at the level of the individual power outlet to charge our phone.

Breakfast at the seat and a business meeting

Pour la classe "Executive", une voiture spacieuse et dix sièges hyper-confortables - Photo : PB

When we reopen our eyes, Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa strides vigorously through the still pale landscapes of Burgundy. The carriage is silent: the impeccably dressed young woman seated opposite me still dozes. The businesspeople seated at the far end of the car, too.

The urge for a coffee arises. Then, the flight attendant promptly asks for our breakfast: croissant? yogurt? ham? fruit salad? It’s your choice and unlimited.

For now, a double espresso and a croissant suffice. As soon as the fold-down table integrated into the lateral armrest is extended and a napkin laid, coffee and croissant are brought by the onboard attendant.

Paris. Two hours have slipped by since our departure. We drift back to sleep a little, but near Chambéry the wagon comes alive.

Two businessmen seated behind me begin talking rather loudly, the young woman opposite me converses with the flight attendant in a Slavic language—Russian, perhaps?—orders her breakfast, then, in her language, and at very high volume, undertakes a phone call that seems endless.

In the small rear compartment of the car reserved for business meetings, two of my neighbors settle in. Their exchanges will be brief. Then, this room equipped with a table, a flats-screen that can connect, and five seats (it is privatizable provided you buy a dedicated ticket) will remain empty for the rest of the journey.

Car 1 stays a busy hive as the train threads through narrow valleys, surrounded by towering, snow-covered peaks. That said, one can still enjoy the panorama and read a bit thanks to the two LED spotlights positioned on either side of the headrest of my seat.

All-you-can-eat lunch

Pour les hommes d'affaires, une salle de réunion privatisable - Photo : PB

As noon approaches, the calm returns. One begins to feel that Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa is delivering on its promises.

Certainly, it is not a symbol of extravagance. Yet, for travelers who value space, quiet, and service, the “Executive” class offers a truly refined travel experience.

Soon, the onboard attendant re-deploys the foldable table and covers it with a napkin before presenting us the menu (renovated every month). It is only a matter of choosing from dishes signed by the star chef, Carlo Cracco, a renowned figure in Italian cuisine recognized by the Michelin Guide.

This partnership, which began in 2013, reflects Trenitalia’s “commitment to offering a culinary experience that blends refinement and Italian authenticity.”

Alongside a selection of club sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, etc., the day’s menu offers as a starter either asparagus cream with its tips or a Mozzarella di bufala. And as a main, chicken with yogurt and turmeric or fillet of sea bass with herbs and fennel.

Our choice is quickly made: mozzarella and sea bass. Both prove delicious, accompanied by a glass of Sicilian white and followed by a fruit salad and the inevitable espresso.

Crossing the Alps without constraints

Des menus savoureux signés du chef star, Carlo Cracco. Ici, daurade au fenouil - Photo : PB

While we were having lunch, the train gradually left the deep valleys behind it, venturing into broader, flatter, and greener landscapes.

After this effortless crossing of the Alps, we were already approaching Turin, a northern Italian city crossed by the Po River.

Upon arriving at Turin’s station, the idea arose of a quick excursion in this city renowned for its museums (Egyptian Museum, Cinema Museum, Automobile Museum, etc.), its palaces, and Porta Palazzo—the largest open-air market in Europe. And also a stay by the major Italian lakes nearby.

For this time, Milan was our destination. An hour later, the 9281 Frecciarossa train stopped at Milano Centrale. Departing from Paris – Gare de Lyon at 6:28, it arrived right on schedule.

Already, a taxi waited for us. Welcome to the Lombard capital, also the fashion and design capital and a very active business city!

An Executive Class well suited to a high-end audience

Trenitalia met Milan à quelque 7 heures de Paris - Photo : PB

Concretely, the Executive Class of this direct service that places Milan about seven hours from Paris lets you travel in comfort, without stress or transfers. It is well suited for business professionals as well as a high-end audience that requires comfort and attentive service.

In Executive Class, the catering (breakfast and lunch served at your seat and unlimited) is included in the ticket price. Expect from €305 for a one-way.

For professionals who might need to alter their trip due to a meeting cancellation or delay, the “Serenità Pro” offer allows altering the ticket without any fare adjustment, whatever the reason. The ticket is also refundable up to the scheduled departure time.

Tickets and schedules will be available on trenitalia.fr, via the Trenitalia France app, in-station ticket offices, and on self-service kiosks.

Trenitalia also aims to reach all publics. In Standard class, a Paris-Milan one-way can be found from €35. And from €49 in Business. In both cases, catering is not included in the price.

Moreover, to prepare summer trips while keeping to budget, travelers can pay in up to four installments via Paypal. They can also use Chèques-Vacances Connect, accepted at ticket offices and by phone.

Another boost for purchasing power, in these times made difficult by soaring fuel prices: the referral offer.

It allows you to obtain 10% off for yourself and 10% off for your referred friends or family. The occasion, Trenitalia emphasizes, “to introduce family or friends to a Frecciarossa journey and enjoy a benefit in return.”

Paris Gare de Lyon: The TGV INOUI Lounge Gets a Makeover

July 16, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Le salon Grand Voyageur Le Club TGV INOUI de Paris Gare de Lyon a officiellement rouvert après une rénovation complète - Photo : SNCF

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On April 21, 2026, the Grand Voyageur Le Club lounge TGV INOUI at Paris Gare de Lyon officially reopened after a complete renovation.

Located at the heart of the station, in the Galerie des fresques – connecting Halls 1 and 2 – the lounge spans a total area of 630 m2, up from 610 m2 previously thanks to a 20 m2 extension on the ground floor and a 4% increase in seating.

With around 400,000 travelers in 2025, it is accessible to Grand Voyageur Le Club members and eligible corporate clients, who wish to work or unwind before their journey.

To better meet its clientele’s expectations, the lounge is now organized around two distinct spaces.

The ground floor is dedicated to guests making short stops, under 15 minutes, and offers immediate access to all services.

Upstairs, a new layout of the spaces, paired with a higher-end range of services and amenities, enables guests to relax and work in a calm environment.

In the relaxation areas, work zones or the individual telephone booths, each visitor can enjoy the full range of services including free Wi-Fi, electrical and USB outlets, the news and entertainment portal, a selection of beverages, etc.

Read also: TGV INOUI unveils its new lounge at Paris-Est station

A Reduced Environmental Footprint

The renovation of this lounge took into account a number of ecological criteria, such as the use of responsible materials – the furniture and construction elements are sourced from the European Union, durable and recyclable.

Likewise, the historic joinery has been restored exactly as before, while incorporating optimized thermal standards.

Furthermore, an airlock helps prevent heat loss or gain depending on the season.

Among the other measures implemented: the broad use of sorted recycling bins, a selection of organic hot drinks sourced from fair trade, the option to use your own mug at the coffee machine, and the reduction of paper by offering on-site newspapers and digital press.

Read also: Optimum: SNCF’s offer to compete with Trenitalia hits the rails!

* SNCF Voyageurs has set up a loyalty program that offers preferential deals for its premium customers. Launched in 2012, this program evolved in 2021 and comprises 2 statuses: Grand Voyageur and Grand Voyageur Le Club, the latter giving access to all Grand Voyageur TGV INOUI lounges. The progression from one status to another depends on the frequency and volume of purchases made each year.

Adagio Launches Adagio Business Plus for Long-Term Corporate Stays

July 16, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Le groupe Adagio dévoile une nouvelle offre baptisée Adagio Business + - Depositphotos.com, ml12nan

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With nearly 45% of its activity generated by corporate clients, Adagio aims to strengthen its position in the long-stay business travel segment.

The Adagio Business + offering targets companies wishing to provide their employees with lodging solutions tailored to trips lasting several days or weeks.

In a context where expectations are evolving toward greater flexibility and expense control, this new commercial proposition highlights a stay framework combining autonomy, comfort and budget clarity.

Flexibility, cost control and loyalty

The Adagio Business + offering rests on several services dedicated to professional travelers:

– flexibility of booking terms with free cancellation up to the day before arrival and early check-in from 1:00 PM ;

– cost optimization with tiered rates for stays longer than 8 nights and a minimum 10% discount on the public rate within the Adagio network in Europe and the United Kingdom ;

– loyalty program with access to ALL – Accor Live Limitless, enabling points and benefits to accumulate at more than 5,500 Accor hotels.

This new offering is deployed in 117 aparthotels of the group in Europe and the United Kingdom.

An experience that blends autonomy with hotel services

Beyond the tariff and contractual advantages, Adagio Business + is built on the fundamentals of the group’s aparthotel experience.

Travelers thus benefit from fully equipped apartments, including a kitchen, workspace and storage areas, offering more space than a standard hotel room.

The residences are located in central sites, close to business activity zones and well served.

The offering also includes redesigned common areas, conceived to foster relaxation and sociability, as well as a set of hotel services: 24/7 reception, breakfast, laundry, dry cleaning, or a gym.

“Adagio Business+ is our new offering dedicated to long-duration professional stays. It combines budget control, the comfort of an apartment and hotel services, with greater flexibility and new services to meet the demands of business travel“, notes Stéphane Ormand, Chief Commercial Officer.

Written by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Editor
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Business Travel: Long Lake Acquires Amex GBT

July 16, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Amex GBT va passer sous pavillon privé après son rachat par Long Lake - DepositPhotos.com, Rawpixel

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American Express Global Business Travel a annoncé, le 4 mai 2026, avoir conclu un accord définitif en vue de son acquisition par Long Lake Management, dans le cadre d’une transaction d’une valeur d’environ 6,3 milliards de dollars.

“Aux termes de l’accord, les actionnaires d’Amex GBT recevront 9,50 $ par action en espèces, ce qui représente une prime de 60,2% par rapport au cours de clôture de l’action Amex GBT le 1er mai 2026, le dernier jour de bourse complet avant l’annonce de la transaction, et une prime d’environ 65,1% par rapport au prix moyen pondéré par les volumes de l’action Amex GBT pour les 30 jours se terminant le 1er mai 2026“, selon le communiqué officiel.

La transaction devrait être finalisée au cours du second semestre 2026, sous réserve notamment de l’approbation des actionnaires d’Amex GBT et l’obtention des autorisations réglementaires requises.

Une fois la transaction finalisée, les actions ordinaires d’Amex GBT ne seront plus cotées en bourse et Amex GBT deviendra une société privée.

A noter qu’American Express, Expedia, Qatar Investment Authority et BlackRock, représentant collectivement 69% des actions de GBT, ont conclu des accords de vote en faveur de la transaction.

Lire aussi : Read also: What challenges for business travel in 2026?

Behind this acquisition, an acceleration of the transformation of business travel

The deal is financed by a combination of equity contributed by Long Lake’s existing investors and Koch Equity Development LLC (“Koch”), Koch, Inc.’s main investment and acquisition arm, and by a debt financing guaranteed by JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi and MUFG.

It marks the shift of a key publicly traded player to a private model, potentially more agile in its technology investments.

“Thanks to Long Lake’s applied artificial intelligence capabilities, our travel expertise, our global reach and decades of trusted relationships with clients and suppliers, Amex GBT is a driver of transformation for business travel“, stated Paul Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Amex GBT.

“The future of business travel will rest on seamless collaboration between AI and human agents, serving every traveler: shorter booking lead times, proactive handling of contingencies and simplified travel administration. In partnership with Long Lake, Amex GBT will continue to invest heavily in these technologies and maintain its status for excellent customer service” added, for his part, Alex Taubman, co-founder and CEO of Long Lake.

For reference, American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leader in software and services for travel, expense management and the organization of meetings and events, operating in more than 140 countries.

Read also: Amex GBT, Marietton, ATPI: the behind-the-scenes of consolidation in business travel

FCM Travel to Deploy Sam in 90+ Countries Starting June 2026

July 16, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Sam, le nouvel agent IA de FCM Travel. DepositPhotos.com/sdecoret

IFTM TourMaG Party

FCM Travel annonce le déploiement mondial de Sam, son assistant alimenté par l’intelligence artificielle à partir de juin 2026.

FCM Travel précise que Sam a été développé en interne et intégré directement à l’infrastructure technologique du groupe, plutôt que comme une couche ajoutée à des systèmes existants.

La solution est destinée aux voyageurs d’affaires, aux réservataires et aux travel managers. Elle doit permettre d’accompagner l’ensemble du parcours voyageur, depuis la réservation jusqu’au suivi du programme voyages.

Un assistant connecté aux politiques voyages des entreprises

Selon John Morhous,directeur de l’expérience client mondiale, Sam a été conçu pour garantir un haut niveau de précision et de conformité aux politiques internes des entreprises.

L’assistant applique automatiquement les règles liées aux plafonds de dépenses, aux validations internes ou aux fournisseurs référencés. Un voyageur ne pourra par exemple pas recevoir de proposition de billet en classe affaires si cette option n’est pas autorisée dans la politique voyages de son entreprise.

FCM Travel précise également que les données des clients restent stockées dans son environnement privé et ne sont pas utilisées pour entraîner des modèles publics d’intelligence artificielle.

Au lancement, Sam permettra notamment aux travel managers d’accéder aux données de leurs programmes via des échanges en langage naturel et de basculer vers les outils de réservation déjà utilisés par les entreprises.

A lire aussi : FCM Travel France nomme Jean-Baptiste Sirabella à la tête de l’activité Meetings & Events